In light of recent taxonomic changes (November 2010) The forum will be undergoing changes over the coming weeks.



A Phylogenetic study was performed by Chris M. R. Kelly et al. and published in November 2010 which details a variety of Taxonomic changes in the genus, Lamprophis. I shall list them below.



Lamprophis capensis, fuliginosus, lineatus, maculatus, mentalis, olivaceus & virgatus have now been moved to the Boaedon genus.

This means they are now to be classified as 'Boaedon sp.'



Lamprophis lineatus bedriagae was not expressly mentioned in the study but as it is a lamprophis lineatus subspecies, it should also move to the genus: Boaedon.



Lamprophis inornatus has been removed from the Lamprophis genus and placed with the water snakes in the genus: Lycodonomorphus.



Lamprophis swazicus has been moved to it's own genus 'Inyoka'



Lamprophis aurora, fiskii, fuscus & guttatus remain in the Lamprophis genus.



Lamprophis aybssinicus, erlangeri & geometricus are retained in the Lamprophis genus - but as they were not sampled in this study, future studies may place them elsewhere.



Article: Kelly, C.M.R., et al. Molecular systematics of the African Snake family Lamprophiidae Fitzinger, 1843 (Serpentes: Elapoidea), with particular focus on the genera Lamprophis Fitzinger, 1843 and Mehelya, Csiki 1903. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. (2010), doi:10/1016/j.ympev.2010.11.010
Science Direct

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